Metallic railway-tie



' r'rn I STATES PATENT Orrroa.

ALEXANDER G. E. XVESTMACOTT AND JAMES PEMBERTON HUTOHINSON, OF

- NEWTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

M ETALLIC RAI LWAY-Tl E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,582, dated March29, 1892.

Application filed April '7, 1891. Serial No. 388,007- (No model-l To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER G. E. WEsTMAooTT, a subject of the Queenof Great Britain, and JAMES PEMBERTON HUTCHINSON,

a citizen of the United States, and both residing at Newtown, Buckscounty, Pennsylvania, have jointly invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Metallic Railway-Ties, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact :0 description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to metallic railwayties, and has for its objectthe construction of an economical and efficient metallic cross-tie foruse in railway construction, the improvements consisting in theconstruction and arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafterset forth.

:0 In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referencerefer to like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevationof our improved metallic-tie. Fig. 2 isa top View thereof, and Fig.3 across-sectional view through the line a b of Fig. 2.

A, Fig. 2, represents the flat top or rail surface of our improvedmetallic tie, which is of a proper length to suit the gage of therailway and upon which rest the railsE E, which rails are securedto theflat top of the tie by any mode of fastening the bases of rails tometallic ties. The sides B B (see Fig. 1) extend the length of the flattop A of the tie, and these sides are provided with openings F, 5 at orabout their longitudinal centers, which openings are preferably producedby cutting away a portion of the metal from the lower portion of thesides of the tie. The sides B B are bent toward each other until theymeet,

and are preferably given a curved shape, as shown in Fig. 3that is tosay, the sides B B, the depth of which is denoted by the lines I) 1),extending to the base-line b, are given first an outward and then aninward curvature 5 toward each other until the said sides B B meet alongtheir bases, except where out out in middle opening F in a verticalplane passing longitudinally through the center of the tie.Extension-pieces O C, (see Fig. 1,) projecting longitudinally from thefiat top A, are

bent down at right angles with the top surface of the tie, as shown insaid Fig. 1, so that the end view thereof will be substantially as shownin the cross-section, Fig. 3. Openings in the top surface A areprovided, as at D, in the center and, as at H H, at either end, as shownin Fig. 2, the center opening D being shown in the cross-section, Fig.3, these openings being provided in order that when thetie is placed inposition on the ground ballast maybe introduced therein and packedwithin the hollow portion of the tie in order "to give solidity thereto.The tie being thus in position on the ground, thelateral openings F,(see Fig. 1,) in addition to economy of metal in the construction of thetie, will enable ballast to be worked under and inside of thehollowportion thereof, the packing of which ballast inside and under thecurved longitudinal sides B B adding to the solidity of the tie andpreventing 7o longitudinal motion thereof, which latter feature is aidedlargely by the. bent-over ends 0 C. (Shown in Fig. 1. This inwardcurvatu re of the sides B B produces thus a hollow tie, within whichballast may be packed as aforesaid, and owing to the form of the base ofthe tie produced by the inward curvatures of its two sides toward eachother,enables the tie to rest solidly upon supporting'external ballast,while the form of the sides also produces a sufficiently elastic topsurface Aas a base for the rails resting thereon and preventing adisintegration of the metal and a loosening of the fastenings, whichwould otherwise be the case from the hammering of the wheels of therolling-stock on a too solid sur face.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hollow metallic tie consisting of a continuous flat top surfaceprovided with openings therein and with longitudinal sides inclinedinwardly toward each other and meeting at their bases, substantially asdescribed.

2. A hollow metallic tie consisting of a flat top surface and withlongitudinal sides inclined inwardly toward each other and meetingattheir bases and with vertical end piecesofrectangularform,substantiallyasdescribed.

vertical end pieces of rectangular form, sub stantially as described; p

In testimony whereof We have hereunto affixed our signatures this 28thday of March, 15 A. D. 1891.

ALEXANDER G. E. WESTMACOTT. JAMES IElVIBERTOlI HUTCHINSON.

Witnesses;

JOHN R. NOLAN, H. T. FENT N.

